This fall, I've been thinking hard about how I can take Golf News Net in the years ahead where I've long wanted it to be.
Honestly, the goal for the last few years has been the same: Create more content that explores golf in my voice. Up to this point, I've mostly done the opposite. I've built the site to provide news, information and resources that are reliable, accurate and not-at-all personality-driven. That mission has largely been fulfilled. But attaining that goal came at a cost, sucking some of the joy out of talking about golf.
In 2021, my goal is to have more fun with golf...and hope you'll join me.
The deeper I've gotten into building up GNN, the more I have tried to focus my attention on the business of golf media instead of my love of golf the game. I stopped doing the things that I loved most in talking about golf, including my long-running podcast "The 19th Hole Golf Show" in August 2019.
I felt like I had run out of things to say, as though I was still beating the drum on the same topics from nearly 20 years ago. So I stopped. I found I missed it. Recording the podcast was one of my favorite things because I could talk about golf in a way I just couldn't on social media or, frankly, in writing.
I miss writing passionately about what's happening in the game. If you read my early writing back in the day, then you'd almost certainly say I was a much more interesting writer before years of corporate gigs knocked it out of me. Well, I want to have fun again.
There are so many interesting people and places in golf. I've been fortunate to experience many, but there's so much more to see and do and share. I love telling a good story, and I'm going to be doing that more in 2021. I'm also going to invite some of my favorite storytellers to share their talents with you (and not just for "exposure").
Here's the kicker, though. I don't want to constrain myself by only presenting things that I know will appeal to a broad audience. I have done that in getting Golf News Net to here, and I can keep doing that. I want to create what I hope will be interesting to fellow passionate golfers, and that means putting that content behind a paywall.
The GNN membership that was started in the fall will now have two tiers, with the free tier and a new paid tier for $30 per year. Those on the free tier will get two weekly editions of The Break newsletter (that are also e-mailed to subscribers) on Mondays and Thursdays.
GNN Supporters, paying $30 per years, will get much more, including:
- The 19th Hole Golf Show weekly recap episode releases two days before the public
- Additional interview episodes of The 19th Hole that won't be made available to the public
- Five editions of The Break each week on the website
- An annual gift from Golf Scouts, our new golf accessories business
- Priority access to future Golf News Net events
- A member-only Slack channel for ongoing chats with me and the occasional special guest from the golf world
- Member-only discount codes and offers
If you already signed up for the free GNN membership in the fall, you'll get a free trial of the paid membership through January 2021 in appreciation for taking me up on a new idea.
(At the risk of burying the lede here, on Jan. 1, 2021, I'm separately increasing the Forebucks annual membership fee to $99 and the Forebucks lifetime membership fee to $449. With the addition of our successful model and more resources, the membership has more value than ever, and I'll be doing more weekly deep dives into topics of interest to golf bettors and DFS golf players. Current Forebucks members will be grandfathered in at their current price.)
It has been the joy of my life to be able to start Golf News Net from scratch and get it to here, all thanks to your support. I hope you'll become a GNN member, whether free or paid, and become a more active part of this community.
Thanks,
Ryan
